Mobile track tamper



July 16, 1968 F, PLASSER ET AL MOB ILE TRACK TAMPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed April 4, 1966 IN'VENTORS FR mz L. ss? :raggi: -ruuf Kuj (4M July16, 1968 PLASSER ETAL MOBILE TRACK TAMPER Filed April 4, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 2 'lll/',

United States Patent O 3,392,678 MOBILE TRACK TAMPER Franz Plasser andJosef Theurer, both of Johannesgasse 3, Vienna, Austria Filed Apr. 4,1966, Ser. No. 540,082 Claims priority, application Austria, Apr. 7,1965, A 3,214/ 65 4 Claims. (Cl. 104--12) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Amobile track tamper designed especialy for grading tracks at switchrails, wherein the tamping tool assembly is mounted on an averhangingforward portion of the frame and a track lifting means is also mountedon this frame portion. The track lifting means includes a rail Agrippingjaw operable to subtend a track rail in the range of the ballast spaceto lbe tamped, or a pair of such jaws operable independent of each otherfor gripping the rail.

mounted on the frame, and a track lifting means mounted on the frame.The tamping tool assembly is designed to tamp the ballast underneath thegraded ties so as to X the graded track in position, and the well knownand preferred assembly illustrated herein includes a pair of vibratorytools spaced from each other in the direction of alongation of the trackand opposing tools of each pair being arranged for immersion in aballast space adjacent a selected tie to be tamped. Upon verticaladjustment of the tamping tool assembly and vibration and reciprocationof the opposing tools in the direction of the track elongation, theballast underneath the selected tie is compacted between the tools.

In conventional track grading machines of this type, such as disclosed,for instance, in our U.S. Patents Nos. 3,136,065, 3,149,578, 3,153,390and 3,192,870, the frame comprises a forward portion overhanging theballast space whereinto the tamping tools are immersed forwardly of thefront wheels, and the tamping tool assembly and the track lifting meansare mounted on the forward frame portion, In these known machines, thetrack lifting means is arranged at a distance from the tamping toolassembly, usually at the front end of the frame, so that the track gradeat the point of lifting actually differs from that at the point oftamping. This difference increases with the spacing of lifting fromtamping means so that the track must be lifted higher than the desiredgrade at which the selected tie is to be xed. This obviously entailsinaccuracies in the grading operation,

The above and other disadvantages are overcome in accordance with thepresent invention by arranging the track gripping part of the tracklifting means so as to grip the track in the range of the ballast spacewhereinto one of the tampng tools is immersed.

The objects, advantages and various features of this invention will bemore fully understood in connection with the following detaileddescription of one embodiment thereof, chosen by way of example andillustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. l is a schematicside view of a track grading machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of a preferred track grippingpart shown engaging a track switch; and

3,392,678 Patented July 16, 1968 FIG. 3 is a similar elevational viewshowing the same track gripping part engaging a straight track rail.

As will be obvious from the following description, the illustratedmachine is adapted for grading track switching points, which is aparticularly advantageous application of the invention.

Since the illustrated track grading machine is more or lessconventional, except for the particular arrangement of the track liftingmeans, many features of the machine, as far as shown at all, have Abeenindicated and will be described only schematically. Thus, the ballast 4supports track ties 3 on which rest the track rails 2, 2, as well as theswitch rails 2.1, 22 (see FIG. 2). The tamper frame 1 is mounted onfront and rear wheels for mobility on the track, the wheels running onthe track rails of a previously graded track section.

A tamping tool assembly 5 is vertically adjustably mounted on a forwardportion of the tamper frame overhanging the ballast spaces adjacentselected tie 3' to be tamped forwardly of the front wheels. Thestructure and operation of the tamping tool assembly may be entirelyconventional.

The apparatus indicating the grade track also may be conventional andthat illustrated herein includes the usual front bogie 7 running on thetrack ahead of the tamper and carrying a rst end point 8 of a referenceline 9 eX- tending to a second end point 10 which is xed in relation tothe previously graded track section. These end points may be constitutedby a sender and receiver, respectively, of a visible or invisible beamof radiant energy, which beam constitutes the reference line. In thepreferred embodiment illustrated herein, the track grading indicatingapparatus includes two grade measuring elements, each constituted by arod vertically movably mounted in the frame and having one end restingon a rail 2 so as to move up with the rail when the latter is lifted.The first grade measuring rod 13 is mounted forwardly of and adjacentthe track gripping part 18 and the second grade measuring rod 13' ismounted rearwardly of and adjacent the tamping tool assembly 5. A rod 12is linked to the measuring rods 13, 13 for movement therewith and therod 12 carries a stop or target board 11 mounted for cooperation withthe reference line 9. When the rail 2 has been lifted sufficiently forthe measuring rods 13, `13' to position the rod 12 so that stop 11contacts the reference line 9, the desired track grade at selected tie 3has been attained and lifting is discontinued.

According to the invention, the means for lifting the track to thedesired grade at the point of tamping, where- ICC by the track isaccurately fixed in the graded position, is

positioned immediately adjacent the tamping tool assembly, with thetrack gripping part arranged to grip the track in the range of theballast space 19 adjacent the tie 3 to be tamped. The illustrated tracklifting means includes a carrier arm 17 extending in the direction ofelongation of the track and pivoted at one end to frame 1. A motor meansfor raising and lowering the carrier arm about the pivoted end engagesthe other end of the` carrier arm, the illustrated motor means being ahydraulic motor 16 lwhose cylinder is mounted o n the overhanging frameportion and whose piston rod is attached to the other end of the carrierarm. In this manner, the carrier arm may be pivoted in a plane extendingin the direction of track elongation.

The preferred track gripping part, which is attached to the pivotalcarrier arm near the end of the arm remote from its pivoting fulcrum, isshown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. It includes a pair of track grippingjaws 17', 17 which hold rail engaging clamps 18', 18 designed to engagethe widened base 22 of the rails. A hydraulic motor 23 interconnects theupper ends of the gripping jaws, with its cylinder linked to one jaw andpiston rod linked to the other jaw, for pivoting the track gripping jawsin the transverse plane perpendicular to the direction of trackelongation, in which the jaws are positioned, into and out of grippingengagement with the track. This illustrated structure is particularlysimple in construction and operation.

While the gripping part has been shown to be positioned in the range ofballast space 19, a similar effect could obviously be achieved bypositioning it between the pair of opposing tamping tools 14 of thetamping tool assembly or in the range of the ballast space 19. However,the -illusrated positioning of the track gripping part is particularlyadvantageous because it constitutes the best possible distribution offorces on the carrier arm and, furthermore, since it is mounted betweenthe operators station of the track grading machine and the tamping toolassembly, it makes accurate visual control by the operator possible.Thus, the operator may carefully control the tamping and liftingoperations from control panel 6 in a manner known per se and forming nopart of the present invention.

As indicated more particularly in FIG. 2, the track lifting means of thepresent invention is particularly useful for lifting the track at aswitch point and, generally, for grading track sections where rails runinto each other and various irregularities are encountered. For thispurpose, track tampers for such work have made use of special tampingtool assemblies. These assemblies include opposing tamping tools whoseupper parts are associated with conventional means for vibrating andreciprocating the same in the direction of track elongation. The lowerparts of the tools, which carry the ballast picks, are pivotally mountedon the upper parts, hydraulic motors 24 being associated with the lowerparts to enable them to be pivoted about fulcrum 15 out of the range ofthe track in a plane transverse and perpendicular to the reciprocatingdirection of the opposing tools.

Also, the entire track gripping part is mounted on the carrier arm 17for pivoting into an operating position adjacent the track and out ofthe operating position in a plane extending in the direction of trackelongation, the illustrated mounting arrangement including a bearingaxle 4rotatably journaled in the carrier arm.

The operation of the illustrated machine will be partly obvious from theabove description and will be summarized hereinbelow in connection Witha preferred embodiment of the grading method:

As the tamper advances along a track section to be graded from tie totie in a conventional manner, the track gripping part is pivoted intoits operation position adjacent the track. When the machine is stoppedat a tie to be tamped, the tamping tool assembly is lowered into thetamping position with the lower parts of the tamping tools immersed inballast spaces 19 and 19. Simultaneously, and at the beginning of thelowering of the tamping tools, the carrier arm 17 of the track liftingmeans is lowered while the gripping jaws 17' are kept in open position.As the track gripping part reaches a position wherein the track grippingclamps 18 and 18 are capable of engaging the widened base of the `rails2, the clamps are closed to grip the rails and carrier arm 17 is pivotedupwardly to lift the track to the desired grade. The tamping toolsimmersed in the ballast are now operated to tamp the ballast underneaththe tie and thus to fix the same in the graded position. After tampingand simultaneously with the raising of the tamping tool assembly, thecarrier arm is upwardly pivoted, with the gripping jaws opened so as tobe disengaged from the track rails.

When a track section at a switch point is to be graded, as shown in FIG.2, one of the gripping jaws 18 progressively engages the switch rails21, 22 while the other gripping jaw 18 engages rail 2. In this manner,the machine may be used for continuous grading of straight tracksections interrupted by switch points and/ or other obstructions.

To enable the track gripping part to be positioned within the range of aballast space between two ties, which must also accommodate a tampingtool immersed therein, it is necessary to make the track gripping clamps18', 18 narrow. Of course, these clamps need not necessarily take theillustrated form of hooks but could be rollers or other suitable railengaging elements.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connectionwtih one embodiment thereof, it will be understood that many structuralmodifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in theart, particularly after benefiting from the present teaching, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in theappended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A mobile track tamper for tamping the ballast supporting track ties,comprising (1) a frame mounted on front and rear wheels for mobility onthe track and comprising a forward portion overhanging said ballastspace forwardly of said front wheels,

(2) a tamping tool assembly vertically adjustably mounted on the forwardframe portion and including a tamping tool having a lower part whose endis arranged for immersion in said ballast space upon vertical adjustmentof the tamping tool assembly,

(3) a track lifting means mounted on the forward frame portion, thetrack lifting means including a pair of rail gripping jaws operable tosubtend a Vrespective rail of the track in the range of said ballastspace, said track gripping jaws being positioned in a plane transverseand perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the track,

(4) means for pivot-ing each of the track gripping jaws independently insaid transverse plane into and out of gripping engagement with thetrack, and

(5 an operators station arranged on said forward frame portion, the railgripping jaws being mounted between the tamping tool assembly and theoperators station.

2. The mobile track tamper of claim 1, wherein the tamping tool includesan upper part, and further including means for vibrating andreciprocating the upper part in the direction of elongation of thetrack, and means for pivotally mounting the lower tool part on the uppertool part whereby the lower tamping tool part may be pivoted out of therange of the track.

3. The mobile track tamper of claim 1, wherein the track lifting meansincludes a carrier arm extending in the direction of elongation of thetrack and pivoted at one end to the forward frame portion, and a motormeans for raising and lowering the carrier arm about the pivoted end,the track gripping jaws being attached to the carrier arm.

4. The mobile track tamper of claim 1, further comprising means forpivoting the track gripping jaws into an operating position adjacent thetrack and out of said operating position in a plane extending in thed-irection of elongation of the track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,986,100 5/1961 Kershaw 104-123,149,578 9/1964 Plasser et al. 104-12 3,153,390 10/1964 Plasser et al.104-7 3,177,813 4/1965 Stewart 104-12 3,192,871 7/1965 Krause 104-73,301,198 1/1967 Bick 104-7 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner.

